St Michael’s school swimming success

James Silcocks

A team of 29 pupils from St Michael’s C of E Primary School have front-crawled their way to success in this year’s Aquasplash Swimming Gala, which took place at the Meridian Leisure Centre last Tuesday (January 28).

The 24 pupils, plus five reserves, topped both the Y3/4 large schools group and the Y5/6 large schools group, beating Kidgate, Market Rasen, Lacey Gardens and Grimoldby to the top spot.

A mixed team of nine pupils will now go on to take part in the county finals in Grantham next month. If they succeed there, they will go on to the national championships at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

St Michael’s has a link with the Louth Dolphins swimming club, based at the Meridian Leisure Centre, where assistant headteacher John Marritt is a level one swimming coach.

Mr Marritt said: “It’s not just the ‘elite’ swimmers who attend the Louth Dolphins club that have done well - it’s all of the team.

“All of the children here are competent swimmers because of the training programme that we have in place here at St Michael’s. We have eight different swim groups.

“The school has won the gala for 12 of the last 13 years. Last year, our Y5/6 group also won the county championship.”

“I’m a very proud coach.”

Headteacher Paul Fox also praised the pupils, and added: “Well done to all the pupils who competed from other schools too, and well done to Greenwich House who won both Y3/4 and Y5/6 in the small schools category.”